


Peas In A Pod

by AssvengersArsemble



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, Steve's Pov
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 21:38:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4721369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssvengersArsemble/pseuds/AssvengersArsemble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony talks about James Rhodes all the time, and Steve's embarrassing crush can only get ten times more embarrassing if turns out Tony's already seeing someone. Especially if it's the guy he never shuts up about and who has just got back from deployment. And who is never not by Tony's side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peas In A Pod

Rhodes hadn’t been around much at first, not that that didn’t stop him feeling like a presence in the tower already. Every other anecdote Tony had to tell was about Rhodey.

 

It wasn’t that Steve was jealous, that would be absurd. To be jealous of someone he hadn’t even had a chance to properly introduce himself to because Tony spoke about them like they were his hero? Tony talked about Rhodey like the guy shined like a star. From what Steve had been told he could only imagine that he was some dazzling adonis with near omnisentient level intellect, and the engineering technique to boot--

 

Well maybe he was a little absurdly jealous.

 

The only time he saw him so far was when the guy flew in 2 hours late to the events in New York (decked out in a less obnoxiously painted Iron Man armour, that Steve now knew was called the War Machine, which he thinks is a more obnoxious name.) Rhodes presumably berated Tony for his recklessness before wrapping armoured arms around him and mumbling something about how proud he was of Tony. Then promptly dragged him away to the nearest medic to get checked over, which Steve had been grateful for since Tony had steadfastly refused to see anyone at the urging of the other newly founded Avengers. But through all this he hadn’t even seen Rhodes’ face, he’d been standing with his back to them, too engaged with Tony to introduce himself (incredibly rude.)

 

And it’s been four months now. Rhodes was deployed somewhere, presumably where he’d ditched to rush to New York (and arrive late, Steve notes, as he always remembers to make note to himself to be just that little more critical of Mr Perfect), and in that time there’d been a lot of time between himself and Tony in the tower; what with Thor having Asgard, Natasha and Clint having SHIELD, Bruce preferring his own company, and Pepper having a company to run. It had been enough time for him to hear what he could only assume was almost the entire life story of Rhodes since encountering Tony some time in their teens and also for him to develop a rather embarrassing crush on his teammate turned roommate (if you could call someone who lived several floors away in separate almost entirely self-inclusive apartments a “roommate”.)

 

Steve wasn’t exactly _the best_ at being forthcoming with his feelings, but it had been time to bite the bullet. It was time to either give this a go or get rejected, and Steve’s a big boy, he could handle a little heartbreak. He had the perfect opportunity, Tony was about to have a coffee in the communal kitchen (which most of the team used rather than their other more private kitchens on their own floors as it was always fully stocked, at someone else’s expense, and partly out of being sociable) and Steve just so happened to have totally accidentally timed his arrival back with two special lattes (fancy ones from the coffee shop down the street, he doesn’t even know what’s in the cups if he's honest, he just repeats the thing Tony always orders) for when the scientist usually emerged. He was seconds away from asking, after a grateful Tony had beamed at the free cup of his favourite coffee, they were going to be the next words out his mouth.

 

_Would you like to go on a date with me, Tony?_

 

When suddenly Tony’s fancy coffee hit the floor as he bolted past Steve. Whatever nickname Tony had nearly squealed in delight hadn’t even really registered with him in that moment of surprise and utter confusion.

 

Rhodes had arrived.

 

 -0-

 

“Colonel Rhodes, I’ve heard _so much_ about you.” _Did that sound sarcastic?_ After he said it he was sure it sounded intentionally sarcastic. He offered a handshake which was returned strongly by the other man’s strong hands. _Really, Rogers, strong hands? You’re gonna sound like the way Tony describes the guy._

 

“Likewise, ” Rhodes smiled, and it was such a nice smile, maybe Tony hadn’t been hyping the guy up as much as Steve thought he must have been, “And it’s Rhodey. Or Jim.”

 

“His mom calls him Jimmy,” Tony quips with an enormous grin.

 

Rhodes-- _Rhodey_ smiles again, which he really needed to stop because it was doing things to Steve, “Yeah, but we’ll save that for her and you, when you’re clingy.”

 

“I’m never clingy.”

 

“Well it’s good to meet you,” Steve pauses, “Rhodey.”

 

_Well that definitely sounded cheesy and awful and is he stifling a laugh?_

 

“It’s good to finally meet a living legend, but if you don’t mind I’m gonna go grab my things,” he says, motioning with a thumb over his shoulder towards the door, “If I wait I’ll forget.”

 

He tries to make some intelligent response, but all that happens is an empty rush of air as Rhodey had already turned to leave. Real smooth.

 

“I’ll help,” Tony yelps, following Rhodey from the room like a puppy.

  
Steve hears a muffled, “No you won’t,” from the colonel and he smiles a little, despite it being arguably the most embarrassing first impression he thinks he’s ever made on someone. And that’s saying something.

**Author's Note:**

> So the relationship tags kind of spoil where this is going, but I reckon it's pretty obvious anyway. SteveRhodeyTony forever.


End file.
